Lives of the Misdirected
by LittleLithoniel
Summary: In which Bofur notices every romantic happening within the company, but cannot see when someone is interested in him. -includes mainly Thorin/Bilbo and eventual Nori/Bofur, Dwalin/Ori, and hints of Kili/Fili on the side.
1. Chapter 1

"Aulë, if he stares any harder, he'll burn a hole straight through our poor, little burglar's head," Bofur commented, just as a member of their company took a place on the hard ground beside him. He chose to ignore the close contact -close enough that their thighs would touch if he moved just slightly to the left, no doubt- as he turned to look at just who it was that he was speaking to. He was pleased to see that his new conversation partner was none other than a smiling Nori, who was holding a mug of ale his way. Bofur liked talking to Nori, and he did so quite often, most notably as they rode their ponies beside each other as they had left the Shire. Taking the mug, Bofur spoke his thanks and turned his attention back to the slowly dying fire, and the two shadowy figures on the opposite side.

"Aye, he would," Nori agreed with Bofur's earlier observation, "but it may not be the wisest of ideas to question our leader's actions. Bofur nodded, and both dwarves took quiet sips of their drinks, and attempted to hide their spying from the rest of the group. It was only a moment later that Nori leaned his body closer to Bofur's, talking in a voice barely above a whisper. "He's been in an especially foul mood these past few days. I think it's the hobbit that has him acting so strangely."

Taking a moment to ponder his words, Bofur came to the conclusion that the thief beside him had probably never spoken truer words in his lifetime. Thorin Oakenshield, their rightful king and leader of their small but loyal company, had become increasingly irritable ever since the hobbit had chased behind them, yelling out that he wished to accompany them on their journey after all. Up until this very moment, Bofur realized, he did not notice the change in Thorin's mood. He had been so preoccupied with his newfound friendship with Nori, which really began only upon entering the Shire a week previous, that he didn't notice much else. It was nice having a new friend, Bofur thought, and surely Thorin would want a friend in Bilbo.

But one look at the dwarven king, as he sat back against a large rock, blue eyes fixed on the smallest member of the group, would tell anyone that he definitely _did not_ see a friend, not even a potential one, in the hobbit. Instead, one might begin to think that Thorin already disliked the hobbit, and with the stubbornness of dwarves it would take a lot for the small-sized burglar to gain the king's trust. Clearly, the hobbit sensed this himself, as he stood in a huff and stormed quickly to the bedrolls everyone had set up just before nightfall. This only fueled Thorin's apparent anger, but he did nothing but slump further into the side of the hard rock. Of course, not much of the company was around to witness the hobbit's tiny fit, as most had already fallen victim to a deep sleep. Besides Thorin and Bilbo, only Bofur, Nori and Bifur were up, and Bifur was paying as little attention as possible to anything besides the bright flames of oranges, reds, and yellows.

"What do you suppose the hobbit did to deserve such hard stares?" Bofur asked, although he suspected that Bilbo, the hobbit in question, did absolutely nothing at all. Bilbo seemed like a nice enough fellow, even if he did stomp his feet around in frustration a lot. Perhaps, however, the dwarves asked for that sometimes. Nori just shrugged, no longer holding his gaze on the two unhappy beings across the camp, but instead on Bofur. Bofur turned to him and smiled a warm smile, placing his now empty mug onto the ground before him, and pulling his knees into his chest.

"I don't know how anyone could have it in themselves to hate a hobbit. Perhaps he just has a crush but doesn't know what to do about it." Bofur laughed at himself before continuing, louder than expected, "I mean, I've never seen a hobbit up close before. Look at how small and precious he is! I just want to hold him." Despite the fact that he was joking, he watched as Nori's soft smile shifted quickly into an unreadable, but surely not happy, expression.

What Bofur did not notice, however, was the sudden tightening of Thorin Oakenshield's posture at his words.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days were odd for Bofur. Nori took to riding his pony beside Ori, leaving Dwalin to take his place at Bofur's right, not that Bofur minded all that much. Dwalin could be a nice fellow, if he wanted to be at that particular moment. He was quiet, too, in the sense that he did not talk often, which left a lot of room for Bofur to express his expectations for the adventure, though he didn't think the older dwarf was listening to much of what he had to say. Besides, it's not as if the two Brothers Ri strayed all that far anyway. They stayed directly in the front of him and Dwalin (who was spending an awful amount of time stealing short glances at Ori, probably wondering why the young scribe was on this quest at all), and Bofur could have sworn he heard a few chuckles coming from the pair at some of his more animated storytelling. Even so, he did miss the company of the dwarf with the tri-peaked hair and often found himself thinking if he had done anything to make him upset, and this day was no different.

_Though,_ Bofur thought to himself one hot, sunny afternoon, _Nori isn't the only one behaving strangely. The entire company has been behaving differently._ He was, of course, mainly referring to none other than the littlest member of the group and the aged king whose eyes had not left him in weeks. Bilbo, for the first couple of days on the journey, had been absolutely pleasant when he wasn't complaining of allergies. Even the next week or so afterwards had been rather great, although Bilbo seemed to tire more quickly in the day than the dwarves, who were used to travel. But that all seemed to change the morning Bofur witnessed Thorin's harsh stares sent and enraged and annoyed burglar to bed much earlier than he would have under less intense conditions. Since that night, the hobbit known as Bilbo had been cranky and irritable, especially when it came to anything having to do with Thorin Oakenshield. Sometimes it looked as though the burglar was going to turn his pony around and head back into the Shire, but he never did. _Thorin doesn't believe in him. He wants to prove him wrong. _

"Laddie, it'll do you no good to stay in that head of yours," Dwalin's sudden words startled Bofur, so much so that the younger dwarf nearly jumped off his pony though he would later deny it. Instead, he would say that as Dwalin had made barely a sound in hours, Bofur did not expect him to start speaking. "Getting lost in your mind can be worse than getting lost in the wild, especially for you. More dangerous, too. At least with the wild, there's a way to get unlost."

"I was not _lost," _Bofur replied, lamely. "I knew exactly where I was, and it was a fine place to be. Too bad you're not invited." He stuck his chin higher in the air, eyes closed, in a display of arrogance. But it was hardly a half a minute later that he opened only one eye, just to see Dwalin's usual expression, one that lacked any amusement at all. _Mahal, does he ever smile?_

"I wouldn't want to be in your mind, lad. Probably full of all sort of odd and disinteresting things, it is." Bofur opened his mouth to speak, an insult to the old warrior on the tip of his tongue, but a small voice came from up front.

"I'm sure the insides of both your heads are very fascinating, Misters Bofur and Dwalin, just in very unlike ways," Ori, the company's scribe, said to the pair of them, even though as he looked back his gaze was solely on Dwalin. "In fact, I'd like to hear a lot more stories sometime. Maybe even about all your battles, Mister Dwalin. That'd really be something." Bofur's own words disappeared as he stared back and forth between Ori, who had now turned back around to face forwards, and Dwalin, who's neck and cheeks had become flush with colour.

_Did everyone eat something that I had not? Is everyone sick? Why is everyone so- _Bofur cut his own thoughts short, not wanting to continue to dwell on recent events. He shook his head quickly, only pretending he didn't glance quickly up to Dwalin, whose cheeks were still pink as his eyes remained focused on Ori. _I am imagining things. There is no way that this hardened warrior is blushing. Nope. _But Dwalin _was _blushing, and little Ori seemed to be the cause.

Another three days passed by, and all three of them were just as unusual as this. Actually, the days were so similar in events, with whatever little conversation occurring coming in the form of insults and Ori seemingly _flirting_ with Dwalin, Bofur was sure he was just reliving the same day over and over. It was almost boring, and there was perhaps nothing in all of the world that Bofur disliked more than boredom.

Then, one evening just as night was about to fall, Thorin stopped the company by a cliff's edge. A formation of rock stood tall at one end of the smallish clearing, shielding the company from some of the chilling winds rolling over the landscape. It made for a nice place for a fire, and the lack of foliage left enough room for each dwarf (or hobbit, in Bilbo's case) to lay their bedroll a comfortable distance from everyone else's. This, of course, is exactly the first thing everyone did after tying up their ponies for the night. However, despite weeks of travel wearing down their bodies, no one was in a rush to sleep. It seemed instead a nice night for a few songs, and what Bofur considered one Bombur's greatest cooked meals to date.

It was hours before yawns broke out amongst the company, and even longer before anyone actually made an effort to get to their bedroll for the night. No, with Nori finally sitting beside him again (even with a lack of conversation between them, and a few shared looks and once even a smile), Bofur thought things were finally returning to the state they were in at the beginning of the journey. Bofur let himself break out into a large grin, not caring who saw or what they thought he was thinking of. Things did not stay good for long, however, because as the dwarves shuffled off into their makeshift beds, tiredness finally overcoming them, everything made another turn for the worse. Bofur was one of many dwarves who found themselves tucked into their beds, hiding under the warmth of their cloaks and coats. His eyes were heavy with sleep and he had just closed them when it happened.

Fili and Kili were on first watch, sitting by the small fire still burning away in the night. If either of them even noticed Bilbo as he stood up from his bedroll and wandered to the ponies, they did not react. They remained unmoving by the fireside, comforted both by its glow and its warmth, until a high-pitched cry sounded through the dark night air. Bofur wasn't sure how the conversation went, but he did hear a little being said about orcs. It wasn't until Balin's voice rang out through their camp that he sat up, finally interested.

The story Balin told was one of great interest, of the Battle of Azanulbizar. By the time Balin had finished retelling the events of that battle, the entire company was out of bed and staring up at Thorin, eyes wide in awe. Despite hearing versions of the war of dwarves and orcs before, Bofur was amazed at the courage and strength of his leader ad king. Bilbo, Bofur noted, looked in absolute shock, as if he could no longer be upset at the fierce and mighty (majestic, even, with the way he stared sometimes) dwarf, but could hold nothing but respect for him.

Yet, the next morning proved that Bofur was not always right in his observations. In spite of the admiration Bofur had thought he witnessed in the hobbit's eyes the night before, he was woken up by loud footsteps and louder voices.

"_You can lead an army of dwarves into a battle near impossible to win, and still come out victorious, but you can't even bring yourself to do anything else but hate a hobbit! You are no leader, Thorin Oakenshield, not to me!" _Everyone, including Bofur, thought that they must had been mistaken. There was no way that the small burglar could be making such deafening noises. One look around the camp said differently, however, as Bilbo was once again stomping about in anger.

_Oh, Thorin,_ Bofur thought to himself, _stop staring at the hobbit._


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: Sorry if you got two update notices, but I forgot something important and needed to delete the chapter to fix it. Also, thank you to reviewers, and readers. _

_Lastly, I am sorry this is so short. I intended it for it to be longer but it made more sense to split what I had written into two, because of how the chapter ends and the next begins. I will try to update as soon as possible._

* * *

It must have been only seconds after Bilbo's outburst that two bodies poked out from behind a grouping of trees and bushes, the pair being none other than Kili and Fili, the nephews of Thorin and among the youngest in the company. It didn't surprise Bofur that the two had not been present at the time of the argument between Bilbo and Thorin, as everyone had expected it to be a pleasantly quiet day, and Bofur knew that the couple had been itching to find some time to themselves. Their current dishevelled state provided proof that they had found just that and were doing Aulë knows what.

"Was that Bilbo doing all the shouting?" asked Fili, as he pulled his overcoat back up onto his shoulders. Kili, the younger brother, was standing beside his brother pulling a twig out of his dark, tangled hair. He looked disinterested in what had taken place only a moment before, and looked at his brother as if pleading to return to their own activities. "I would have thought you'd need to be bigger to hold all that anger, Mister Baggins." Fili chuckled at himself, but no one else looked amused. Bilbo was practically shooting daggers at the fair-haired dwarf, and Thorin looked on at the hobbit with the most worried expression Bofur thought he'd ever seen.

"Well, that sure is enough." It was Gandalf who had chosen to break the silence. "We'll never make it anywhere on this journey if we don't head out now." Thorin, glad someone was able to take control of the situation (Bofur knew that Thorin only would have made it worse had he said anything), nodded once.

"Right. Fili, Kili, get out of the bushes, gather your things and everyone get on your ponies." With the king's deep voice booming throughout the camp, everyone snapped out of the shocked trance they were in and rushed about. It was in mere minutes that the ponies were again prepared for travel. Excited to leave the camp and, hopefully, the drama, Thorin's company was off.

And then it rained, for four days straight.

On one of those days, whether it was morning or afternoon was a mystery to him, as it was dark constantly, Bofur noticed two things in particular. One of those things was Ori, who had been inching closer to Dwalin for what must have been hours. It was almost as if he younger dwarf had not taken his eyes off the older, because every time Bofur glanced between the two, Ori's gaze was still focused on Dwalin. Eventually the scribe was riding in perfect step beside his very obvious crush, and, from what Bofur could hear, had asked about why Dwalin had chosen the names he had for his axes. Dwalin looked pleased to be able to have something to talk about with the younger dwarf.

The second of Bofur's observations was that Nori had been in much higher spirits in the past day or two. On the fourth day of rain, Nori rode up to stay in step beside him. Neither of the two said a word, but a smile warm enough for Bofur to practically _feel_ it through the biting chill of the rain and wind was plastered across the other's face. Seeing this, Bofur let a silly grin slide across his own features, although both smiles were gone a moment or two later, at the unexpected sound of an angered Dori.

"Ori, keep up!" Dori was shouting from closer to the front of the row of ponies. "We don't need you getting lost! Hurry, hurry. Get up here!" Even though Ori did not want to move any nearer to his eldest brother, made obvious by his eye roll and sudden hunched posture, he did as he was commanded. Or, rather, he would have, had a large hand not come down to grab at his own.

"He'll be alright here, Mister Dori," Dwalin said, keeping his eyes on the smiling scribe. "I won't let him get lost." Bofur was surprised, to say the least, about Dwalin's actions. Everyone in the company knew that Dori and Nori were not the most fond of the warrior, as he has arrested the middle brother on more than one occasion before the journey began. Bofur was even more shocked, however, when he heard what he thought to be _"Oh, but I will get lost, Mister Dwalin, if I could have the privilege to look into your eyes any longer,"_ whispered from the mouth of Ori. If anyone were to look at the back of the pack of dwarves, they would have seen Dwalin, Bofur, Ori, and Nori all red as tomatoes.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's note: There is a (very obvious) reference in here to another favourite story of mine. I hope at least someone gets it. I will be very disappointed, and just incredibly shocked if no one does. _

_Hope you enjoy._

* * *

The fourth day of rain was most miserable of all. The rain was falling harder and faster than it had in the few days previous, and the morale of the group was at its lowest point yet. The ponies were walking, one after another, in thick mud. No one in the company wanted to be the first to speak, so it remained a quiet trip throughout the day. Bofur was upset to realize that, not only was it a quiet day (which he definitely did not enjoy), his pipe would not keep its light.

"Mister Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked, finally breaking silence of the company. Really, it was a question that had popped up in everyone's mind. In fact, Bofur had thought about asking more than once since the rain had started.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done," was Gandalf's response. _The sass coming from that wizard, _Bofur thought to himself,_ is utterly ridiculous. _"If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

"Are there any?" Bilbo actually sounded curious. A simple "what?" from Gandalf prompted Bilbo to continue speaking. "Other wizards?"

"There are five of us." From what Bofur could see, not a single dwarf was excited about the sound of multiple wizards. One wizard was difficult to deal with, and despite the short length of their journey so far had proven that wizards were unpredictable and not the easiest beings to trust. Thorin, Bofur knew, would only have his mood worsened by the new knowledge of more than one wizard. _For Thorin's sake, I'm hoping Gandalf is the only wizard we meet on this quest. _"The greatest of our order is Sauroman," Gandalf continued," the White. Then there are the two blueses." Pause. "You know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?" _Mahal, Bilbo, stop asking these questions. No one is up for it._

"That would be Radagast, the brown."

"Is he a great wizard, or is he more like you?" _If Gandalf is the sassmaster, Bilbo would be his tiny sass apprentice. I don't even think he knows how the question sounded to everyone else._

"I think he's a very great wizard," Gandalf's tone was free from any possible offence taken from Bilbo's question. "In his own way. He's a gentle soul, who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the east. And a good thing, too, for always evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

Bofur did not like the sound of that, but a sharp poke in his side brought his attention away from the train of thought the old wizard's words put in his mind. Looking at what could have caused the slight discomfort, he was startled to, once again, find Nori beside him. The dwarf smiled gently, conscious of the rest of the group's unhappy faces. _"If the wizard did anything to raise spirits in the group, I'm not sure. How are you fairing, Bofur?"_ he whispered. Bofur didn't know what it was about Nori's question that made his day seem so much brighter, but he was suddenly overwhelmed by the warmth he felt.

_"All is well, Master Nori," _Bofur replied in the same rough whisper. _"A bit of rain won't dampen my spirits, just my clothes." _Nori nodded as a low laugh rumbled from within him.

_"I suspect your clothes will be a little more than _damp_, Master Bofur._" Bofur let out a chuckle of his own.

_"Aye, you're probably right at that." _But then a thought occurred to him. _"Say, are we not close enough to drop the 'Master' now?"_ Nori's expression and posture both visibly brightened. _"We are adventuring together, you know. I imagine we'll all see each other at our worst."_ And just like that, Nori was back to looking down. Maybe his happier expression had just been in Bofur's own imagination.

The next day, by some sort of miracle, the rain had stopped and the sun had come out. By mid-afternoon, the entire company was nearly dry. They travelled a great distance in the heat of the sun, which was a huge improvement over the past few slow-moving days. Coming along a farm house in the evening, the company thought they had a good chance at finding some nearly comfortable sleep. Thorin, knowing the group needed the rest and seeing that they had done a good deal of travelling already for the day, announced that it would be a nice place to set up camp for the night. However, just after Thorin had announced which jobs the dwarves would take care of for the evening, Gandalf yelled out to him.

"I think it would be wiser to move on," he shouted to the group, although Thorin took it as directed to him. Bofur watched as Thorin stepped over to the wizard, engaging in a heated conversation. _Even as great as he is, Gandalf will never win this argument against the stubbornness of Thorin Oakenshield._ And Bofur was right in his assumption, for not more than a few minutes later, Gandalf was storming off, complaining of having spent too much time with the dwarves already.

The next couple hours until nightfall were much less exciting to the majority of the dwarves. Bombur was in the process of cooking a delicious looking _something_ over the fire. If Bofur were honest with himself, he hadn't been paying much attention. He was mainly sitting in the warmth of the fire as he watched Thorin send little looks Bilbo's way. _There's something on that dwarf's mind, and I can only imagine what it is._

He continued to watch for another while, until it seemed like everyone was busying themselves with something else. It was then that Thorin stood from his spot at the back of the group, and walked over to the small hobbit. After feeling a, probably heavier than intended, tap on his shoulder, Bilbo looked surprised to see Thorin standing over him, rolling his head over his shoulder as if to signal that he wanted a word. Bofur was the shocked one when the hobbit, who had been so angry with the dwarf in recent times, actually stood and followed the dwarf just out of sight.

_Out of sight does not mean out of earshot, _thought Bofur as he stepped closer to the pair without being seen, curiosity taking over him quickly. He was just on the other side of a small tree and a few bushes, he could only barely hear the hushed whispers of the two.

_"It has come to my attention, hobbit, that you are upset with me," _Thorin started. _"I understand completely."_

_"Do you? Do you really? Because these stares you send my way - and do not, for one second, think I didn't see them again tonight!- tell me much differently."_

_"Aye, and I feel like it would benefit the group if we were on better terms. I apologize for any offence, Master hobbit." _While Thorin _almost_ sounded sincere in his apology, it was clear by a scoff that Bilbo did not see him as such.

_"If you mean no offence, you can always call me by my actual name, Master _dwarf." It was the angriest Bofur had ever heard Bilbo, but the little burglar did not stomp away as he had other nights. _"If you mean no offence, it would be nicer to just leave me be. I don't think you know how even to treat a person politely. You glare and command and never once give appreciation. And this isn't even towards myself, Mister Thorin, but the rest of the company, as well."_ Thinking about Bilbo's words, Bofur realized that he was only speaking the truth, despite his hurtful tone of voice. _"These dwarves bravely gave up everything to accompany you on your quest, and you're lucky to have every one of them. It's no wonder no one else will help you when you're so, ... _so mean_!" _

Knowing what was coming next, Bofur moved just quickly enough to the rest of the group before Bilbo's body stepped around the trees and back into view of the company. He halted in his movements and a deep red blush travelled up his neck to the tips of his pointed ears as he came to the sudden realization that everyone had heard the end of his outburst. No one in the company moved, but everyone watched, all eyes on the burglar. Bofur knew it would be a good idea to give the hobbit a distraction and so he called him over, asking him to bring bowls of supper to the brothers guarding the ponies. The hobbit did as he was asked and took the bowls into the trees, Bofur making sure to whisper his thanks before he did so. Everyone left remaining at the camp, excluding Thorin, who sat with his arms crossed and an expression of confusion and regret on his worn-out face, resumed any conversations that might have been taking place before the interruption.

Three dwarves in particular caught Bofur's interest (which he really didn't expect anything to, not after the argument only minutes ago). Nori, who Bofur always watched out for at camp, hoping the other dwarf would come talk to him, had his eyes fixed on something on the side of camp opposite him, and it just so happened that this 'something' was Ori and Dwalin's close contact. Ori was sitting particularly close to the older dwarf, leaning in as they engaged in deep conversation. His small hand would sometimes come up to brush against various parts of Dwalin as they talked, such as his arm or shoulder, as his eyes looked into the other's. As Ori's hand came to rest midway up on Dwalin's thigh, Bofur shifted his gaze quickly to see Nori's own eyes fill with a burning hot anger, but shifted it back in time to see Ori's eyes flicker to Dwalin's lips before pressing himself into the older dwarf.

Bofur wanted to laugh at the squeal that came from the unsuspecting older dwarf as the youngest member of the company kissed him, hard and rough. He never got the chance, however, as a shout sounding an awful lot like Fili could be heard from within the trees.

"Trolls! Trolls in the forest! Thought you ought to know." The fairest dwarf was out of breath, clearly having just run quite a distance. It only took a second for everyone to gather their weapons an follow Fili back into the trees, running as fast as their dwarves legs would allow.


	5. Chapter 5

It would probably be quite a sight, Bofur would later reflect, watching as twelve dwarves ran as fast as their little, but still very strong, legs could carry them. In the moment, however, the dwarves were all terrified, though most would deny it. It didn't escape anybody that Fili came for help alone, and that Bilbo and Kili were not around. Plus, their unpredictable wizard had left earlier in the evening, and there was no telling when he'd be back.

When the dwarves neared the small clearing in which three ugly trolls had a fire lit, and a cauldron of some sort of soup-looking food item, the adrenaline they all suddenly felt pushed them all straight into battle. Despite any trust issues between members of the company, or current arguments or grudges (_Bilbo and Thorin definitely come to mind here_, Bofur thought to himself) the dwarves worked as a team from the second the fight had begun, to the second it ended. Or rather, until Ori made a very undwarf-like sound, as he hit the ground after being tossed by one of the trolls. While turning to see of the youngest dwarf was alright, a few of the company members quickly took notice of the little burglar being held in the air by the trolls. Anyone who hadn't already seen it did immediately, as Kili shouted a frantic and desperate "Bilbo!"

Thorin held his nephew back, not wanting to continue the fight if it meant unnecessary harm to what was supposed to be a very necessary hobbit. He looked concerned, Bofur noted, but probably because if Bilbo got himself hurt, or _killed_, Gandalf would have some serious words for them all.

"Lay down your arms," one of the trolls' voices carried through the troll camp, "or we'll rip his off." There was a moment, though it felt like much longer, where the dwarves all looked to Thorin for his reaction. Bofur didn't know what he had expected Thorin to do, but he didn't think it would be to throw down his sword in surrender. But, whether it had been expected or not, that is what happened, and everyone swiftly followed in the action, tossing any and all weapons aside.

_Well, that could have gone better,_ Bofur reflected, as he found himself tied down between the legs of Nori. _I definitely didn't imagine this happening while a fire is lit beneath us. _It took a minute to catch up to his own mind, but he soon corrected himself. _I haven't thought about like that _at all_, not once. Not ever. This is not right. I should be figuring out how to get off this damn roasting spit!_ He knew his struggle was useless, however. He couldn't move his arms to untie knots with, nor did he have a knife to cut through the thick ropes. He also couldn't reach the ropes with his mouth to try and rip the knots apart with his teeth, not that it was helping Thorin any. Even if he had, he never would have been able to get down and run to safety without the trolls catching him. He was quick, but he wasn't that quick.

Slowly coming back from his own thoughts, he barely recognized the dull voices around him as those of the trolls, who currently seemed to be caught within a debate with none other than Bilbo. Shaking his head and listening to what the hobbit was saying, Bofur almost missed it as Dori cut in the conversation, shouting "You can't reason with them, they're half-wits."

"Half-wits? What does that make us?" Bofur caught himself saying, before he mentally slapped himself. _Just let the burglar do what he needs. He's probably more clever than all of the rest of us put together!_ But Bofur soon founding himself doubting his burglar's own ability, as Bilbo was shouting instructions on how to cook a dwarf the proper way. _He's insane! Just completely mad!_ The trolls were trying to argue with Bilbo, and before anyone could even say anything about it, Bombur was being lifted and dangled above one of the trolls' disgusting mouths. Bofur wasn't sure exactly what was being said, as he was definitely more aware of the fire heating is body the whole of his body and threatening to cook him, but he knew he heard the word 'parasite' thrown around a few times. Kili's voice carried well through the troll camp, his shouts doing nothing to help the situation.

If he weren't restrained, Bofur was sure he would have jumped at an unexpected roar of "The dawn will take you all!" The was a flash of bright white, and Bofur wondered if the fire had killed him, but only for a moment. But as the trolls twitched and cried out, he knew that the light was only daylight and they had been saved, the trolls turning into much less intimidating statues. As the roasting spit turned one last rotation, he could clearly make out the silhouette of one large, grey wizard. _Gandalf_, the voice in Bofur's mind said, in the same unamused tone Bilbo had used when the majority of the group had literally fallen through the door of a hobbit hole at Bag End. Of course, the voice was also telling him that they were all lucky that Gandalf had even chosen to appear. After all, he did leave the company earlier that day, mumbling about the troubles of dealing the dwarves.

An hour later, the last of the dwarves previously tied to the roasting spit was helped down, all of them still trying to regain feeling in various limbs _(the roped were tied pretty tight, you know)_. Bofur was kneeling on the ground, happy and appreciative that he was actually, definitely on eth ground and _alive_. They were all alive, mostly uninjured, and it was all thanks to a very heroic act from no other than Bilbo Baggins, the burglar who wasn't a burglar at all.

"Surely we must be really close now, Master Bofur," said Nori from somewhere beside him. "Hours spent with you between my legs would do that, you'd think" He laughed, clearly making a joke. Bofur stood up joined in, his own laughter taking over his entire body, though he detected a bit of nerves in Nori's chuckle.

"Aye, a couple hot, sweaty hours, too," Bofur added, "and not even from the fire, eh Nori?" He winked, and Nori's soft laughter came to a slow stop. A violent red crept up Nori's necks, settling over his entire face, and a matching pink painted over Bofur, rising from neck to hat. He reached out to the other dwarf, a hand landing on Nori's shoulder, steadying the both of them after an abrupt embarrassment. His other hand nearly found itself on Nori's chest, but Bofur caught himself before he allowed that to happen. "Master Nori, I'm so sorry if you took offence. I meant none, of course. It was just me being, well, me. I apologize with all my being, Mast-"

"Bofur," Nori's voice was as quiet as Bofur had ever heard, or strained to hear, really. In fact, if he hadn't been able to see the other dwarf's lips move, Bofur may not have known he was even speaking. "It is fine. I just wasn't expecting it, is all." He shrugged Bofur's hand off of his shoulder, a small, forced smile coming to rest on his face. It was at this time that the pair began the walk back to their own camp, preparing to ready the ponies and continue the journey to Erebor. It only took a short while, and they all continued their conversations as they gathered all of their belongings and packed them up.

"What weren't you expecting, exactly? I mean, it's in my nature to joke. Certainly it must have been expected." Nori's smile quickly changed into a sly, knowing smirk. Bofur took note of the thief's ability to change moods and expressions in the blink of an eye, probably to cover real emotions.

"Maybe I wasn't expecting you to catch on to my attraction, Bofur," he said with a wink of his own. The dwarf didn't even give Bofur a chance to respond, but instead left him open-mouthed and in shock, as he mounted his pony and joined the rest of the group at the end of the camp. With a quick shake of his head, Bofur cleared his mind, mounted his own pony, and hurried to catch up.

_Talk about unexpected,_ though Bofur with a smile.

Regardless of many of the dwarves, and possibly even the hobbit, still being shaken up about the confrontation with the trolls, they moved with speed through trees and shrubs and tall grass. Thorin was speaking with Gandalf about a troll cave. Dwalin, Balin, and Oin were all on what looked like a very serious lookout, trying to spot the cave. It seemed, though, that they had been travelling in circles for a few hours, knowing that the cave couldn't be too far from the troll camp. The company in its entirety did not want to be journeying, not so soon after a late-night battle with large and dangerous, although slow and stupid, creatures.

Much sooner than they would have on any other day, the group took a break from their scouting, and all hopped down from the ponies, wandering into bushes and behind trees likely to relieve themselves. Just as Bofur retied his trousers after finishing his business, he heard what sounded an awful lot like crying. Looking around, Bofur counted most dwarves just walking about, possibly still searching for the troll cave and it's treasures. Not caring that there would be one less pair of eyes seeking out this possibly non-existent hoard of goods, Bofur began his own quest to find the creature the cries belonged to.

He did soon find where the soft sniffling was coming from, as crouched in the bushes was a smaller-looking than normal Ori. Not sure if he should try to console the poor dwarf, he hesitated in moving any closer to him. He did, however, move out sight when two more dwarves ran towards the saddened youngster. Bofur knew he didn't even have to look at who it was to be sure that Dori, Ori's oldest brother, would be there. It didn't surprise him to see, when he did eventually peek, that the other dwarf was Nori. The Brother Ri, huddled close, the two oldest each holding one of Ori's hands (although it looked more like Dori was clinging to him, as if were dying).

"It'll all be alright, Ori. Come here, come closer," Dori cooed, but his attempts to hold his brother ultimately failed, Ori pulling away in discomfort.

"How could you say that? How could you say it's alright when you don't even know how this feels?" The youngest could barely stop crying long enough to speak, but he now sounded more angry than upset. "You've never been in love, Dori. You could not possibly know." Ori's head tilted back the tree trunk behind him. Dori's eyes widened almost comically, not ready to hear the words coming from his littlest brother's mouth.

"So, is that what this is?" Nori asked. "You love Dwalin then?" Ori looked to the middle Brother Ri, nodding his head in such a way that showed his sadness about his situation. Though Bofur knew Nori disliked Dwalin, hated him even, Nori looked as though he understood Ori's predicament. He pulled the young scribe into his arms, and Ori let another set of tears fall from his watery eyes.

"I love him so much, and he just pushed me away. Even before Fili ran by, he was already pushing me and my advances away from him." There was a long silence as Ori nearly choked on his tears, but he continued, pulling away from the embrace, but still staying close. "I know you don't like him, but he's so much to me. I see a kindness and a gentleness in him that no one else sees. I talk to him a lot, when you two aren't breathing down my neck. Did you know he used to like the library in Erebor? I do. He told me he used to visit quite often, whenever he could, because he loved hearing and reading of adventures."

"Ori, I know you care for him. Don't think I haven't seen you looking at him, and I definitely did not miss that kiss you gav-"

"You saw that?" Dori screeched. "You saw that and you didn't say a word. What, do you also _approve _of this? That dwarf is dangerous! He is bad news!" Ori's tears were flowing freely again. Nori looked just about done with this conversation.

"Of course I approve of this. I may not like Dwalin, and he may be dangerous, but if you haven't noticed, so am I." He shrugged at his own words, but he, too, looked very sad, almost on the edge of tears. He looked down, pulling his hands into his lap and folding them together. "Besides, I know what it's like to love but not be loved." Dori lifted his hands into the air, in frustration and disbelief. _What? Nori loves someone? Is it someone back in Ered Luin? _

"I still don't understand your fascination with him, Nori. He has, over and over again, ignored your advances. He isn't as nice as he comes across, and you know it. Deep down, you know he'll never give you the attention you deserve." Dori was standing at this point, and it only took him until he was done his speech to storm off, leaving his two brothers behind. Ori was beyond looking scared, but held onto Nori as if he life was dependant on it.

"He'll love you, Nori. I know it." Ori stood, Nori following closely behind. "Thank you, for everything."

"Don't give up either, little one. Love will find a way if it's meant to. Forget about Dori," he laughed, though it still sounded upset. The brothers gave one final hug, before Ori set off to find and speak to (probably scream at) the oldest Brother Ri. Nori shook himself off, readying himself to face the company again, before stepping forward, and turning toward a rustling in the bushes nearby.

A second too late, Bofur realized that he was the one in the bushes, hidden from the brothers' sights. He froze as he watched Nori's expression turn from curiosity at a simple sound, to plain fear, with his eyes wide and mouth open.

"_B-Bofur_?" he whispered.


	6. Chapter 6

"Bofur, I really hope you aren't actually aware of your habit of eavesdropping, first with Bilbo and Thorin and now my brothers and me. Because if you were already aware of it, then indulging in it becomes even more disrespectful." Nori, as far as Bofur could tell, was trying incredibly hard to remain in a composed state. He was doing a fairly good job, until he stepped close enough to be only inches from Bofur's face, and continued speaking in a terribly threatening voice. _"How much did you hear?"_

Bofur thought about it. Really, he had two options: either tell him the truth about hearing confessions of love and pain, or try to diffuse the bomb that was Nori without detonating it. _What's life without excitement? _

"I heard enough to know that your brother is wrong, both of them, really," he paused, taking a moment to think about his next move. He nodded to himself and continued, "Yep, they're both wrong." Bofur's voice was much more timid than usual, not as comfortable as he'd like, being this close to the dwarf he had thought of as a friend. Even Bofur's semi-permanent smile had disappeared, not a trace of happiness left on his face. Nori's eyes focused in on Bofur's own, in a glare so hard Bofur was half surprised he didn't break under it.

"And what, Master Bofur, could you _possibly_ mean by that?" Nori hissed. Bofur raised his hands in defence, stepping a half step away from the other dwarf.

"Ori is wrong in thinking Dwalin doesn't want him, for starters." Bofur stopped, to gage Nori's reaction. The other dwarf didn't back away like he had hoped, but his shoulders dropped, as did at least some of his defence. "I've been watching everyone here, Master Nori, because I know that when we reclaim Erebor, Bombur, Bifur, and I will fall back into our places in the lowest classes of dwarves. I'm not as stupid as people think. We'll have gold, plenty of it, but we won't have respect. We won't have nobility." His eyes were growing wet, knowing that the very reason he was on the journey with his family was so that they would at least be noticed among the other dwarves. He looked back up Nori, straight into his eyes."I know Dwalin loves little Ori, I've seen it. The way Dwalin looks at him, Nori, he _cares _for the lad. I've never seen so much love between two people. I didn't know it could exist in such a strong way."

"Then wh-" Bofur interrupted the 'why?' that he was sure was about to slip from Nori's mouth. He lifted his hands to grab at the other's knit-covered ones. Bofur felt a warmth overtake him, though he wasn't sure if it was the hand-holding itself, or the thought that it was Ori who had knit the mitts Nori was currently wearing.

"Dwalin is _scared_, Nori. Like I said, everyone on this quest is of nobility. He would want to court Ori. He would want the permission of his brothers, but he doesn't think he'd have it." He caught Nori as the slightly taller dwarf _(I'm sure it's just his hair,_ thought Bofur.) looked down at their tightly-wound hands. Clearly, Bofur had managed to get the other to calm down, hopefully forgetting the previous trouble Bofur had found himself in. "Plus, Ori is young, and fragile, and Dwalin wouldn't want to taint him, or hurt him, in any way. And to him, the only way to be sure to avoid all that is to try and forget, to not act on his real feelings."

"And what was Dori wrong about then?" Nori asked, still looking down at the hands between them both. "You said _both_ of them were wrong, so what about Dori? How was he not right?" Bofur let one of Nori's hands go, only to bring it to the other's chin and lift it, bringing their eyes to meet. After a small head tilt and a small, genuine smile, Bofur let go of Nori altogether just to bring him into a tight hug.

_"I never heard who it was you love, Nori, but there's no doubt in my mind he would be able to find it in himself to love you back,"_ Bofur said as quietly as possible. He pulled back, but only an arm's length, as he kept his hands on Nori's shoulders. The other dwarf looked absolutely shocked, but no longer angry or even upset, which was an improvement in Bofur's eyes. "You're great, Nori. You've got an excellent sense of humour, you're loyal, mostly honest, and an amazing friend. I can only hope he'll make you as happy as you would make him."

* * *

I am so sorry for all this bullshit. So, so sorry. They were supposed to be all happy and _together_ by the end of this, but Bofur refused to cooperate.


	7. Chapter 7

"Bofur, there is something I must admit to you," Nori started, and Bofur watched as his lips continued to move and form more words, but the sound of them was drowned out by someone's excited shouting. Usually he was rather excellent at reading quietly mouthed words, but the ones Nori had spoken must have been very unfamiliar to Bofur. Letting his hands drop to his sides, Bofur gave Nori a look of confusion, hoping for the other dwarf to repeat his previous sentence. However, the yelling coming from the rest of the group only grew louder and, fearing trouble, Nori and Bofur both grasped at whatever weapons they had on their persons, running towards the cries. Once caught up to the remainder of the group, both dwarves realized there was no trouble at all. In fact, in his frustration and sadness, it was Ori who had stumbled across the barely hidden troll cave. _How did any of us miss that?_

The youngest Ri brother was standing at the mouth of the cave, not wanting to go in, but also not wanting to move from his spot. Thorin pushed past him, not saying much anything at all, least of all a praise or congratulations. Gandalf was a little kinder, offering a smile to the young dwarf, and Dwalin, who didn't actually enter the cave, gave Ori a strong pat on the back to show that the boy had done a good job. As Ori looked up at the older dwarf, eyes wide and still wet, Bofur let his curious nature getting the best of him and ran ahead of the group, following Thorin into the cave. _Mahal, this must be the worst smelling place in all of history,_ he though, although he wasn't sure if he had actually voiced his opinion or not. He was too busy thinking of what golden and pricey objects he would find in the hoard, some of which were already shining under the light from Gandalf's torch.

"It seems a shame to just leave it lying around," Bofur suggested, turning to whoever it was that had entered the troll cave behind him. Gloin and Nori, as it turned out, were the only other two in the cave, and both looked to Bofur at his opinion. Gloin gave him a strange look, maybe with greed and possessiveness and also a bit of sneakiness, but spoke to Nori instead.

"Agreed. Nori, get a shovel," he commanded, and Nori did as he was told. It was only a moment later that Nori had come back with the shovel, and by that time a small chest was filled with gold and jewels. The three of them dug a hole, not caring who saw their hands grabbing and pulling dirt out of the way, and filled it with not only the chest, but more fancy-looking things that had caught their eyes. "We're making a long-term deposit," came from Gloin's mouth, suddenly enough that it would have startled Bofur, had he not been distracted by the precious objects around him. Apparently, at some point during their activities, Dwalin had, in fact, entered the troll hoard after them, likely because he was too loyal to Thorin to allow the king out of his sight. Bofur looked up in time to see a rather rude eye-roll come from the dwarves warrior.

"Let's go," Thorin said, though his loud voice made it seem more like a shout. "Bofur, Gloin, Nori." The group, now including Dwalin, followed after Thorin, but left Gandalf behind, though only for a minute.

Out of the cave, Bofur glanced around everyone quickly. Ori was sitting on a rock not far from the cave's opening, with Dori and Bilbo huddled around him. He looked extremely uncomfortable, and he wondered if Bilbo knew about the dwarf's hidden love for Dwalin. Not far away from the upset looking trio, Bifur was handing a confused looking Kili a skull he had found. A warm laugh, one that Bofur knew belonged to Nori long before looking his way, made its way to Bofur's ears. Bofur did not have long to enjoy the sight himself, as Gandalf was soon out of the cave, calling out to the hobbit. Being as nosy as he was, Bofur tried to listen into the conversation between the wizard and the hobbit. Finding he could not hear them without wandering obviously close, Bofur settled on short, frequent glances their way, hoping to at least get a clue as to what they could be speaking of.

Without being able to hear the entirety of Gandalf and Bilbo's conversation, Bofur guessed he knew a majority of what was being said, just by seeing their facial expressions and the wizard handing a dagger of sorts to the hobbit. _Poor Bilbo probably doesn't know what to do with the thing, having never been in a fight in his life._ Bofur's own train of thought was derailed as a loud shout from Thorin gathered the attention of the group. "Something's coming," he shouted, which apparently prompted Gandalf to believe he now had the authority to start yelling orders.

"Stay together," the wizard said, "hurry up, and arm yourselves." With or without the orders from Gandalf these were the steps the dwarves would have taken to prepare themselves for an attack, but they moved swiftly, getting into as tight a group as possible in the few short moments they had. Bofur wasn't sure what to expect, and he was sure the others felt the same way, but the hurried rustling of leaves meant that whatever was coming their way was charging towards them at speeds rather great. However, when a man of some sort rode into the clearing on a sled lead by _rabbits_, shouting things about thieves and murder, Bofur knew instantly that this was the furthest thing from his mind when he was thinking of what to expect.


	8. Chapter 8

"Radagast," Gandalf sighed with relief, putting his newly acquired sword back into its holster at his side. Bofur wondered why that name sounded familiar. "Radagast, the Brown." _Ah, the other wizard._ "What on earth are you doing here?" _Even Gandalf doesn't seem entirely pleased with this fellow. He doesn't look sane. And my hate is much better than his own. _The brown wizard, who was indeed very dirty looking, more so than even the dwarves, was quick to respond.

"I was looking for you, Gandalf." The brown wizard was huffing a bit, as if he were out of breath, _as if he were the one doing the running and not the rabbits._ "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong." By now, all the dwarves, and Bilbo, had their weapons lowered, seeing some sort of trust between the two wizards. Not trusting the new face, however, because dwarves do not trust easily (and also, this Radagast doesn't look like his word should be taken all that seriously anyway), their weapons remained at their sides, ready to be equipped in a flash if necessary. There was a moment here that Bofur noticed a still scared-looking Kili grab onto the closest dwarf, which happened to be Dwalin, and little Ori's eyes fill with rage and jealousy and hurt.

"Yes," Gandalf prompted the smaller wizard to continue. Just as Radagast opened his mouth to respond, he froze. It was painfully obvious that the poor old creature had forgotten his words, and from behind the two wizards, Bofur could see Thorin roll his eyes in frustration. _A wizard bringing bad news is as terrible as bad news finding us on its own. A wizard forgetting the news he meant to bring is worse._ The company watched in mock amusement as the scatterbrained wizard opened and closed his mouth a few times, hardly a noise escaping each time.

"Just give me a minute," Radagast finally spoke. "Oh, I had a thought, and now I've lost it. It was right _there_ on the tip of my tongue," he was gesturing towards his mouth for emphasis. "Oh! It's not a thought at all! It's just a little stick insect!" His last sentences were quite difficult to understand, as a stick insect was, in fact, sitting on the wizard's tongue. Gandalf pulled the bug out of his friend's mouth, allowing the other to continue talking. As he began telling stories of how and why he was with the company at that very moment, the dwarves put their weapons away, knowing that it would be a long day if the wizard remained nearby.

Bofur took a seat not near at all to the two conversing wizards, and Nori sat beside him only a minute or two later. As the pair sat cross-legged on a fallen log, Bofur pulled out his pipe and lit it with ease. "Say, I didn't quite catch what it was you were trying to say earlier, you know, what with all that commotion at the troll cave and all," Bofur expressed, hoping the other dwarf would retell whatever it was he had originally said. Nori patted Bofur's knee, a sad sort of smile trying to carve its way into his facial expression.

"Now is not the time nor place for what was on my mind back then." Nori was looking into Bofur's eyes, and Bofur could see the sincerity in his friend's words, despite the much clearer sadness from within them. "Maybe one day I'll find the courage to tell you again, but that day is not this. I'm sorry." Bofur shook his head, mouth forming a comfortable lopsided smile. He made to grab for Nori's hand, the one that was resting on his knee, but stopped himself a mere inch away.

"There is no need for an apology, Nori," he reassured him. "If it's meant to happen, it will." Bofur didn't know how heavy those words would sit in the hearts of both he and Nori. In a sudden burst of bravery, Bofur lifted his hand once more to allow it to curl around Nori's for a quick squeeze, before both dwarves pulled away and rested their palms flat on the ground, careful not to come into anymore physical contact. The smile on Bofur's face did not falter, though.

While Gandalf and Radagast, the wizards, talked between themselves, Bofur noticed that the dwarves had scattered around the clearing, most remaining within eyesight, but none were listening to the conversation. It had been nearly an hour and most of the company looked tired and, for the first time since leaving Bag End, they looked _bored_. Bofur could just barely hear the sounds coming from Radagast, but the warnings he was giving were not registering in his mind. He could pick up a few words here and there, such as Greenwood and decay. It wasn't until he mentioned webs that Bofur's ears tuned in to listen to the brown wizard. It seemed Gandalf had only now started paying closer attention, too, as he turned back to his friend and questioned him.

"Webs? What do you mean?"

"Spiders, Gandalf, giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a wizard. I followed their trail, they came from," the brown wizard paused, probably only for a dramatic flair. _I suppose all wizards like their fair share of drama._ "Dol Guldur," Radagast finished. This definitely seemed to catch Gandalf's interest, as the mood of the conversation shifted into one of high intensity and seriousness.

"Dol Guldur? But the old fortress is abandoned."

"No, Gandalf, it's not. A dark power dwells there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror, one that can summon the spirits of the dead." The two wizards were now staring at each other, the eyes of one never leaving the other. "I saw him, Gandalf, from out of the darkness. A Necromancer has come!" Just after he finished talking, the brown wizard ventured off into his own mind, remembering. It took a few moments before he returned, shaken up, and Gandalf offered him his pipe.

"Try a little Old Toby," he said, "it'll help settle your nerves." Radagast took a long while to breathe in the pipe smoke and exhale it, though the white smoke exited out of both nose and ears. "Now," Gandalf continued, louder than before, "the Necromancer. Are you sure?" A few of the dwarves look on, interest officially peaked, as Radagast pulled some object wrapped in cloth out of his cloak before handing it to Gandalf. The grey wizard unwrapped the object, just enough so he alone could see what lay within the tattered cloth.

_"That is not of the world of the living."_ As if the mood of the company wasn't already intense enough, Radagast had chosen to whisper his words, nearly chilling Bofur to the bones. The moment, however, was interrupted by a nearby howl, coming from the forest surrounding the clearing.

"Was that a wolf? Are there wolves out there?" Before Bofur had even realized he had stood up, he had already spoken a response.

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf." Bofur searched the trees at the edge of the clearing, looking for what he knew had actually made those noises. Growling from behind him caught his attention and he, along with everyone else in the clearing, turned to be met with the ugly face of a snarling warg. The black beast leapt over the heads of Bilbo and Bofur, landing in front of Thorin. Luckily for the group, Thorin was the only dwarf ready for such a sudden attack, and he was able to take the warg down with a quick swing of a blade. Unluckily for the group, another warg had appeared, and Thorin's sword was still stuck within the skull of the first. Following a shout from his uncle, an arrow which could only have been fired from Kili's bow soared through the air, piercing and stunning the new warg, allowing Dwalin to finish it off. The remainder of the group ran over, some not sure of what exactly had taken place over the last minute.

"Warg scouts," Thorin's gravelly voice spoke, "which means an orc pack is not far behind." Bilbo questioned this, but was ignored by Gandalf, whose own questions were of greater importance.

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Thorin looked at him with disbelief, as if he didn't understand how the wizard would not trust him.

"No one."

"Who did you tell?" The wizard's voice was louder and more demanding.

"No one, I swear." Thorin had raised his own voice to match Gandalf's. _So much for not attracting the attention of orcs, then._ "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," was Gandalf's short and blunt reply.

"We've got to get out of here," Dwalin said, mirroring everyone's thoughts perfectly well. It seemed like a good idea, too, until Ori and Bifur ran back into the clearing, up n a ledge near where the ponies had been left.

"We can't," little Ori spoke in a rush, "we have no ponies. They've bolted." The entire group looked understandably downcast, thinking their death was upon them.

"I'll lead them off." Despite the very great offer made by Radagast, no one seemed particularly excited at the idea of an old wizard trying to lure a pack of wargs and orcs away from the company.

"Those are Gundabad wargs, they will outrun you," Gandalf voiced the thoughts of probably every company member.

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits," spoke Radagast, and although Bofur had no idea what that meant, Gandalf perked up at the statement. "I'd like to see them try."


	9. Chapter 9

Dwalin wasn't sure how he felt about having this strange wizard draw off the orcs. Sure enough, however, Gandalf seemed to have nothing but faith in the other wizard. This seemed to be enough for the other dwarves, and as no one else had any sort of realistic plan, the safety of the group was left in the possibly capable hands of the brown wizard.

Radagast mounted his sled, and in just seconds he was off, pulled by rabbits _(Rabbits! Of all things,_ Dwalin thought, but kept to himself, _rabbits!_) at what was actually a very surprising speed. The dwarves rushed to gather everything they left about, not caring at the moment which items belonged to whom. According to Gandalf, they had approximately three minutes to start running, as Radagast needed a bit of a head start, but not so much as to leave the dwarves behind completely. After all, the orcs would catch on soon enough.

Just as Gandalf began to usher the dwarves out of the clearing and into the woods of bright greens, Dwalin caught a glimpse of Ori, looking terribly scared at the idea of an orc attack. _Young, simple Ori_, reflected Dwalin. _The scribe whose heart you could practically _hear_ break as you pushed him away, you big, stupid idiot. Behind the fear and the panic and the anxiety in that poor boy is a confidence only you know, Dwalin. You've seen it, on more than one occasion, as he met your eye across the table at Bag End, when he shared the stories and books he treasured, and most definitely in that moment right before he pressed his soft lips to your rough ones. That moment before he left all his feelings in the open, and you denied him, and yourself, a happiness neither of you had ever known before this suicide mission of a journey. _Dwalin willed the voice in his head to stop, telling himself he didn't feel anything for the young dwarf, that he _couldn't_ feel anything for him. Not now, not as they were to claim Erebor, not with the likelihood of one or both of them dying in the process. A slap on his back brought Dwalin back to reality and out his own mind.

"It'll do you no good staying in that head of yours," Bofur said from behind, looking up at him from under that silly hat. Dwalin immediately recognized the words as ones he'd said to Bofur earlier in the journey. "You might want to stop staring at him and just _talk_ to the boy," the shorter dwarf offered, a large smile appearing on his face. Dwalin acted as if he knew not what the dwarf was talking about, hoping he would go away. He didn't. "Aye, now isn't the moment, I suppose. Not with orcs around and all. Or maybe that would make it a good time to confess your love. You know, before it's too la-" Bofur's words were cut short as Nori, Ori's older brother tugged on his scarf and dragged him away, leaving Bofur in a little coughing fit.

"Ready yourselves!" Gandalf commanded, as the group stood at the edge of the woods. "Go, _go!_" And the dwarves, the hobbit, and the grey wizard were off.

It was a wild chase. The company could hardly see where the brown wizard had gone, as he was so far away he looked more like a speck, an ant, being chased by equally small creatures. However, the amount of orcs and wargs, no matter how tiny they appeared from this distance, was enough to strike a hint of fear into even Dwalin. It brought back memories, to another battle against the foul creatures, and just like then, they were not as prepared as they would like.

The landscape ahead of them was rather open, unfortunately, but sprinkled with large formations of rocks. As the group, lead initially by Thorin, charged forward, they would hide out of sight of the orcs behind these rocks, stopping to catch their breaths and scout the area for more hidden pathways. Gandalf seemed intent on leading the group a particular way, but no one seemed to mind. Everyone, except for Thorin (of course) was more than happy just to find a way out of danger.

Ori, however, seemed very likely to just put himself further in it. The boy was terrified, and the fear he felt was taking over the rest of him it appeared. Just as a large string of wargs carrying orcs rode by, Thorin stopped, barely out of their sight, but Ori's little legs carried him closer to the pack of beasts. Had the dwarf king not had such quick reflexes, and had not pulled him back with a shout of "Ori, no", the young one would have been warg food, for sure. _I can't let that happen, not to him especially,_ the voice inside Dwalin's mind spoke up, immediately following a gasp and a jolt of paralyzing fear rushed through Dwalin's veins.

The group was soon able to run off again, finding a moment of apparent peace behind a grouping of rocks. It was all an illusion, though, as they all quickly realized they were not alone. Instead, a warg and its orc rider had leapt atop the rocks behind the company, sniffing them out. Dwalin fought back the urge to run and hug his little Ori, but soon saw that Dori was pressing the scribe against a flat edge of the rock, keeping him away from any immediate danger. _He'll keep him from you, as well, Dwalin, you old fool. _But it was a good thing Dori had been protecting Ori, as Kili shot an arrow through the shoulder of the black warg, with another few hitting various areas on both orc and warg. None of these shots had killed the creatures, and both tumbled to the ground, letting out shrieks of pain, alerting the other enemies to the company's location. Dwalin hurried to send his hammer to the orc's head in a crushing blow, and another to the warg to silence it.

More howls were heard from the distance, and despite not being able to see the pack of wargs, everyone knew they were on their way. Gandalf shouted for them all to run, and they followed the simple instructions as best as they could. Their efforts did not go rewarded, especially not with safety, as the wargs and orc riders caught up to them soon enough. The company found themselves surrounded, although Gandalf seemed to have disappeared, Dwalin noticed. That is, Gandalf had really only disappeared behind another group of rocks, as he soon popped his head up in an exclamation of "This way, you fools." The dwarves and Bilbo, again, took no time to follow the command, their distrust in the wizard clouded by the hope that Gandalf knew of safety they dwarves did not. A minute or so passed before the company found Thorin, the last of them, sliding down into the thin and narrow passageway. Above them, a horn could be heard, and the sounds of arrows piercing the air and passing through the thick skins of the orcs soon followed. Seeing an orc slide down into their hiding spot, although he was already dead, with an arrow protruding out from his neck was not a happy sight. Especially not as Thorin pulled the metal arrow from the corpse, examining it and its Elvish make.

"Elves," he spat, clearly not pleased with the events that had just passed. He tossed the arrow to the ground with a swift glance in Gandalf's direction. Dwalin saw the hatred in his king's eyes, and a gut feeling with him rose to his attention. Dwalin knew where the wizard had been leading them. The discovery of this passage was no mistake. But Dwalin refused to say anything, instead he scouted ahead, looking further down the tunnel the group found itself in.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin bellowed, "do we follow it or not?" Really, Dwalin already knew the answer. After all, he was really asking 'do we follow this path Gandalf had lead us to, obviously with purpose, or do we go back out and risk facing more orcs?' It was Bofur who answered, pushing his way through the group to come up behind Dwalin.

"Follow it of course!" he shouted, staying close behind the old warrior. The rest of the group soon took to the idea, letting Dwalin lead through narrow tunnel ways, trying to find a way out. Bright sunlight streamed in through cracks above them, but the rocks jutting out from the passageway's walls did not allow for any of the dwarves to ever feel the sun on their skin, or really benefit from extra light. It didn't take as long as Dwalin suspected it might to navigate the way out, but he did think it odd when the first sound he heard beyond the footsteps of the company or the groans of tiredness and frustration from Bombur was falling water. Another few seconds of time passed before he saw the slight waterfall, and also the exit to the tunnels. With just one look outside of the tunnel, Dwalin knew exactly why Gandalf had lead them here.

Rivendell.

Even though he knew Thorin was not happy being in the home of the elves, Dwalin could hardly be more pleased. As the group stood at the entrance to Rivendell, Dwalin knew it meant safety. It meant a he could find, or _make_ if necessary, a moment to speak to Ori.

That moment came sooner than he thought, though, as just after Thorin whispered a few words to him that Dwalin hadn't even been listening to, Ori came over and smiled his warm smile at him. _He's smiling at you, Dwalin. Do something. _Say _something._

"Hey," Dwalin whispered to the boy, mentally slapping himself. _Already making a fool of yourself. Good job, fool._ But Ori did not seem to mind. The young dwarf sighed in relief, all the tension in his body leaving, spreading his arms for an embrace. Disregarding the part of himself that said this was not a good idea, Dwalin opened his own arms, the faintest hint of an unfamiliar happiness and warmth crossing his features, allowing Ori to collapse into him.

"Hey yourself," he breathed in response. Dwalin pressed his lips to the forehead of the younger, smaller dwarf. Ori looked up at him, eyes wide and smile wider, "I thought you didn't want me, not after you pushed me away before the trolls."

"I didn't," Dwalin said, lamely, not letting Ori out of his embrace. "Or, that's what I'd been telling myself. But I saw you, you know. I was scared, like the old fool I am. I was scared of hurting you." Ori opened his mouth to argue, but Dwalin didn't let him talk. "I'm not good for you. I'm rough, and mean, and dangerous. But I saw you, I did. You fought off the trolls as hard as the rest of us. You shot that one in the eye! You're not what I thought you were, young one. _You're so much more_." Dwalin whispered his last words, letting them ghost across Ori's skin as the scribe moved impossibly closer to him.

"After those orcs, and with the dragon still to come, I don't think you're as dangerous as you believe." Dwalin wanted to disagree, he really did, but there wasn't a chance to, as he felt a pair of warm and welcoming lips against his own.

This time around, instead of pushing the dwarf away, he kissed back.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a shock to everyone to see Dwalin, the huge warrior known for his strength and rough exterior, with his arms tightly wound around Ori, the scholar who was small in size but not in heart. While a majority of the company paid little attention to the new lovers, two dwarves in particular were red as the tomatoes back in the Shire as they played witness to the founding of a romance. Bilbo could see that Bofur was struggling to hold in laughter as Thorin, having been standing next to the pair when they first embraced, stumbled away with a crimson-coloured face, most likely from the embarrassment that came with being so close in proximity to the two. The other flushed dwarf was none other than Dori, who was burning in anger at the sight of his youngest sibling in the arms of, well, _anyone_, really. Bilbo even scanned the group for Nori, the middle Ri brother, to see his reaction, but the thief looked calm, and Bilbo thought that maybe he would learn to overcome his obvious dislike for Dwalin in order to protect the good spirits of Ori.

Of course, especially on a journey like theirs, happy moments were sure to end quickly. This proved true for even the new couple as Dori stomped towards them, though he was interrupted by a tall figure walking gracefully down the steps in front of them. Dwalin and Ori untangled their arms from one another in record time, but stayed close together.

"Ah, Mithrandir," the dark-haired elf said, his voice carrying as much grace and elegance as the rest of him. Gandalf greeted the elf, causing Thorin to stand back and roll his eyes before whispering something certainly nasty in Dwalin's ear. The elf spoke some words in his native tongue, none but Gandalf understanding. Bilbo just stood in his place, amazed by not only the rather beautiful creature in front of him, but just the sight of Rivendell as a whole. It had been one of Bilbo's childhood dreams to visit the city, and now here he was.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond," Gandalf stated bluntly, not caring for small talk or much anything else at the time.

"My Lord Elrond is not here," was the reply he received. The wizard had barely any time to question before a horn echoed through the valley, similar to the one they had heard before mounted warriors had appeared during the orc chase. Unsurprisingly, as the group turned to face the direction the horn had originated, the same warriors, elves carried by strong and sturdy horses, rode out towards them. The dwarves huddled together, an awe-struck Bilbo being dragged into the middle of a circle of dwarves by a quick-acting Bofur.

As it turned out, after a short conversation between a disapproving Thorin, a suddenly cheerful Gandalf, and this Lord Elrond, the dwarves needed not to draw weapons on the horse-riders. They meant no harm, not immediately anyway, and Bilbo was sure they would never. _I don't understand all of Balin and Thorin's stories, then. The elves seem like a friendly, generous folk, much like those in the Shire. But taller. _Instead of threatening battle, like the dwarves had first believed, their hosts offered food, and hopefully lots of it.

Though he lost track of time, Bilbo could guess that a half hour or so had passed since the company was introduced to Lord Elrond. Following that, which was a very exciting for moment for Bilbo, the group was lead to a large living area, where they were able to drop off all of their belongings and rest and recover from their run from the orcs. He watched as a few members of the company collapsed dramatically onto little benches, and Bilbo even had to hold back a laugh at the two princes' battle for the last seat available. Despite being in a land of elves, the company seemed rather pleased at the moment, with the exception of Dori who was still fuming over his younger brother's display of affection towards a certain older dwarf. In fact, Bilbo realized, he had not seen any of the Ri Brothers in quite some time, not after Dori commanded the two younger brothers to follow him for a chat.

Even Thorin, as he sauntered over to where Bilbo sat against a far wall, didn't look so put off. _Perhaps he's just relieved to find we have food, clean water, and beds tonight. And may- Wait! What is he doing coming here? Oh dear._ Bilbo began to worry himself nearly into a panic, tiny beads of sweat forming on him palms, and heart racing, and only managed to get right to him feet as Thorin stopped in front of him.

"I would like to speak to you, Master Ho-," he paused, giving a weak cough. "Master Baggins, a moment?" Bilbo didn't have it in him to speak, afraid that whatever words he would say would just get caught in his through anyhow. Thorin gestured towards a hallway away from the rest of the dwarves, and Bilbo moved in that direction, keeping in step beside the dwarf. "I would like to start, _Master Baggins_, by say-"

"No, no. let me stop you right there, Master Thorin." The dwarf looked down at the hobbit, unsure of where to go from there. Bilbo offered a grin to the taller of the pair. "I only mean to tell you that you may call me Bilbo, if it pleases you. Just _please_ do not refer to me as a hobbit."

Nodding in understanding, Thorin replied, "Are you not proud of what you are, B- Bilbo?" He stuttered, testing how the name felt on his lips. Bilbo decided right there that he very much liked hearing his name in that deep tone. Still venturing down the corridor together, they walked past a room with an open doorway, where the pair could barely make out the Ri Family arguing. Hurrying past, Bilbo looked at his bare feet, clasping his hands behind his back.

"Do you think it's a good thing, Ori and Dwalin finding love? I mean, finding love is almost certainly a good thing, but on this journey, with the threat of death at every turn," he let himself trail into incomprehensible string of words, never lifting his head.

"I don't know about hobbits, Bilbo, but dwarves only love once," Thorin put his hand on the small of Bilbo's back, earning a soft 'oh!' from him, and lead him to a banister overlooking a nicely wooded area. It smelled greatly of outdoors, and Bilbo felt nearly at home in that moment. Thorin leaned over on the banister, gazing down below to the trees, though Bilbo knew he didn't truly appreciate it. "If one of them had not survived today, the other would not only be heartbroken, but they would have regretted not letting their feelings be known." Thorin watched as Bilbo lifted his head, eyes filling with emotion. Neither was enjoying the darker mood the conversation had taken on.

"Hobbits have many loves, most being food, of course," Bilbo laughed, hoping to relieve them of some of the seriousness. A deep noise from within Thorin's throat filled the space surrounding Bilbo, and he wondered if that was supposed to be a chuckle of some sort. "I don't know much about hobbits finding love, because it's never happened to me, you see, but I know of hobbits who've thought they'd loved more than once." He was still looking at Thorin, and the sun hit him in such a way that Bilbo could really see him for the first time. The dulling blue of his eyes, the tiredness in his skin, the streaks of silver in his hair; It was all so beautiful to Bilbo, who was leaning on the banister, trying to peer over the edge though it reached up to his neck. "And to answer your earlier question, I am very proud of being a hobbit, as proud as you must be of being a dwarf."

"Aye, I am." The pair staying in silence, both choosing to look out over to the woods below them, watching as the sun slowly began to set. A few quiet, but not unpleasantly so, minutes passed before Thorin spoke again. "I saw you earlier, when we first came to _this place_," he spat, his hatred for the elves evident in his voice and tight stance. "You looked on at everything in pure wonder. Do you like it here?"

"Oh, yes!" The hobbit's eyes brightened considerably, widening with excitement. "It reminds me of home, with its ties to nature and the earth. It's so wonderful, Thorin, and the elves are so- so beautiful!" He clasped his hands over his mouth, stepping back from the dwarf, who turned to face Bilbo, narrowing his eyes.

"You think these creatures_ beautiful_? Even with their hairless faces? Even with their slim figures?" Bilbo was shaking his head, hands still tight over his mouth. "Are we dwarves ugly to you, then? _Disgusting, even?"_

"N- no! Thorin, no, that's not what I meant," Bilbo took another few good steps back for good measure, dropping his hands only to raise them in defense, though Thorin made no move towards him. Instead, the dwarf just stood tall, with an intimidating stare. "I only meant that they're graceful, maybe that they have an elegance to them that dwarves don't." This didn't look like it pleased the dwarf king any. "You dwarves are beautiful, too. You're much more like hobbits anyway, and that's nice. You don't need elegance either, not when you have such strength and power." Thorin only stood straighter, even though Bilbo didn't see how it was possible, but said nothing. Seeing there was currently no threat in Thorin, Bilbo dared to move closer, only a few inches, to whisper to the dwarf. _"Please, please, do not be upset with me, Thorin. I can't have you hating me any more than you already do." _Bilbo reached forward, grasping one of Thorin's hands for a second, but Thorin pulled back as soon as contact was made.

"I am not upset with you, Bilbo. I don't find you hobbits particularly attractive, either, with your beards being misplaced on the tops of your feet." He paused, as if to rethink his next words. "No, I am not upset with you. I just do not trust you."

* * *

_I am promising actual Thorin/Bilbo fluff within the next few chapters. Sorry for this mess. I am so, so sorry. Oh gosh._


	11. Chapter 11

Bilbo didn't know what he expected Thorin to say, but admitting to a lack of trust was not it at all. He could have sworn he felt his heart begin to shatter, knowing the one dwarf he cared so much for (and, _yes, _he did care about Thorin, deeply) didn't even trust him. _He barely knows me! I've done nothing but try and _help_ him!_ But Bilbo quickly decided he wasn't going to let Thorin destroy his happiness any longer. He'd had enough of going to sleep with anger clouding his mind. He'd had enough of being ignored. And he definitely had enough of pretending he was as upset with the dwarf king as he had let on.

Instead of getting angry, though he did feel that burning anger rise in him, he lifted both of his hands and wrapped them tightly into the furs on Thorin's collar, the soft hairs long enough to allow for a decent grip. Ignoring Thorin's flinch as Bilbo moved to touch him (_What? Did he think I was going to hit him?)_, Bilbo yanked as hard as he could, bringing the dwarf down, closer to his own eye level. Probably assuming Bilbo was going to yell at him, Thorin started to open his mouth in protest, thin lips separating just a sliver, but he never got a single word out. The hobbit was too quick, pressing his lips firmly and tightly against the dwarf's. Both beings broke away after a short moment. _Too short_, in Bilbo's mind.

Thorin trying to back away, taking a half step back at most, but the small hands on his collar held on strongly and the grip they had did not falter. The hobbit didn't let go, not even after sensing Thorin's hesitation and discomfort. Bilbo leaned in close, head down, and peered up at Thorin through thick eyelashes. Shy, despite the courage he had just a moment ago, he whispered to Thorin. "I have given you no reason whatsoever to not trust me, Thorin Oakenshield, and I can promise that I never will."

Bilbo only hoped that Thorin was listening to every word, and could interpret the unspoken meanings behind his promise. The dwarven king's eyes widened, almost comically, and Bilbo might have laughed if the blue of the dwarf's irises wasn't so pure and _beautiful._ Slowly, very slowly, Thorin's look of surprise dissolved, and a simply, pleased smile slipped across his handsome face. Nodding, as to show his understanding of Bilbo's vow, he leaned in closer to the small hobbit. Finally the hands loosened and slipped from the fur of his collar, one finding a resting place on Thorin's chest, and the other reaching around to grab into tangled, dirty black hair. Their lips met again, this time accompanied by a passion neither had ever felt with another being in their lives.

After a minute or two, stopping only once for breath, Bilbo felt two hands, larger than his own by far, roam across his back, landing on his backside. He let out a chuckle, allowing it to rumble from within his chest, pulling a similar laugh from Thorin. "I will keep you to your words, dear Bilbo Baggins, and I promise you the same."

Bofur, on the other hand, had been going for a stroll, losing himself in the strange elven city. Admiring the architecture and grace of everything he saw, he wasn't expecting the view before him as he rounded another corner. There, just a few feet away, was Thorin speaking of trust with Bilbo, or lack thereof. After hearing Thorin's admission, Bofur nearly backed away and ran to the rest of the company, not really wanting to witness a violent crime. He realized pretty soon that, while it wasn't a violent crime, he didn't want to see what had actually happened either. Which, of course, was a series of kisses shared between a hobbit and a dwarf.

But Bofur, though he did try, found that he could not pry his eyes away from the embracing pair. A heat rose through him, rushing through his veins, and filling him with an emotion he had not felt since his dwarfling days, when the other children could afford new playthings and he could not. This was jealousy, and with his envy came an anger so fierce, Bofur guessed he could have destroyed all of Rivendell if it didn't mean getting worsening the feud between them and the dwarves. However, despite the feeling being so unusual to him, he knew what is was that brought it on.

Bofur wanted the same happiness as Thorin and Bilbo, and even Dwalin and Ori. Bofur wanted someone to love him as much as he loved them.

* * *

_After three weeks of nothing from me, this chapter is unworthy. However, I will try to update again within a few days. And it will be nice and long. And cute. _


	12. Chapter 12

_I am so sorry for my absence. It was not intentional, but during it I discovered my own boredom with this work of fiction. I have no idea where it's headed, though I told myself more than once it's only destination was the recycle bin on my laptop. However, I also started A Dwori (or Dwalin/Ori) story which I will update only when I complete it so I no longer have the hassle of keeping any fans of my story waiting. I really do feel terrible._

_I hope to rediscover my previous love for this story, and to continue writing it. I cannot, no matter how much I want to, guarantee any quick future updates._

* * *

Dragging his feet back to the camp the dwarves had set up regardless of the elves' offer of bedrooms, Bofur tried to ignore the images of Bilbo and Thorin embracing that were running through his mind. He didn't want to think about it, and he knew he wasn't doing it because of some perverse reason. Instead, he was simply wishing he could find the person who could make him so happy, so willing to wrap their arms around him with all the love they could gather. Bofur wanted to return that love, and be the one to cause a smile settle across someone's face. He wanted to protect someone, but also have their protection in return.

_Ah, but I'm hardly a worthy dwarf. I don't have the same stout figure of other dwarves, and I'm not all that smart. I have nothing to offer. I'm a craftsman who works with toys, not jewels or precious metals. No adult would find a _toy_ a good enough courting gift. _It didn't take long for Bofur to get completely lost in his miserable thoughts, breaking himself down bit by bit until, quite unusually for him, his mouth had been stretched into a frown. His chin was nearly touching his chest as he walked, hands in pockets and eyes watching his own slow footsteps. Soon enough he was so lost in thought that he was deaf to the rest of the world, not hearing the loud footsteps of booted feet turning the same corner he was about to. Inevitably the two beings crashed into one another, both hitting the floor with dull _thud_s.

This seemed to knock Bofur out of his increasingly terrible thoughts, as he scrambled to his feet muttering apologies to whomever it was he had successfully knocked onto their bottom. Looking to glance at the other person, all the while thinking _I just hope it's not an elf_, he saw Nori sitting there in his underclothes and thick leather boots.

"So, so sorry Master Nori," he said rather quickly, offering a hand to the other dwarf. Nori took it with a smile, and it took two tries to tug him up from his spot on the floor.

"I was just looking for you, Bofur, though I was hoping for a nicer greeting than that." Both dwarves laughed, though Bofur's was filled with nervousness. "The rest of us were getting to bed but you, Thorin, and Bilbo hadn't shown up. No one was about to question Thorin and his hobbit, but you're a different story. Bifur mentioned something about you probably getting lost, and I didn't think so, but I decided not to risk it and look for you anyway." A blush rose up to Bofur's neck, and he wondered if this meant Nori had been worrying about him. Maybe this meant the end to the awkward shift in their friendship.

"I was just walking around," he said. "You'll never guess what I just saw, though," and as the dwarves took their time walking back to camp, he retold the story of Bilbo and Thorin's shared kisses, all with a smile on his face. Really, he didn't mean to tell anyone what he had seen earlier on in the evening, but as Nori was the one dwarf he felt particularly close to on this journey, and they had barely been on speaking terms since the trolls he was glad to have something to talk to the dwarf about. He was even more glad to see his friend smiling as widely as he was, eyes lightening considerably in his happiness. Soon, however, Bofur's story was done, and he was instantly scared that they would go back to being on less than friendly terms. His smile had nearly gone before Nori spoke.

"Well, it seems as though everyone is finding love on this journey then, or they already had it. Either way, it's nice to be surrounded by such feelings, isn't it?" Bofur nodded, wondering if Nori was referring to his own love, which Bofur had only learned of while eavesdropping one time. Bofur also knew this would be a touchy subject and not to ask, as he did also overhear that Nori's love for whoever was not returned.

"Aye, though I wish I had someone to be the Bilbo to my Thorin, or the Ori to my Dwalin, even," he joked, trying to keep the thoughts of Nori and his love out of his head. Nori joined him in his laughter, just as they walked under a covered bridge crossing over a rather pretty garden. Moonlight blanketed them in a soft white glow, and though it was known to create a romantic mood in old literature, the dwarves' own mood remained light and friendly.

"Why are you the strong warrior of the relationship? You're not a Dwalin or a Thorin, Bofur, though you're not an Ori, either, and certainly not a Bilbo." Nori trailed off, but Bofur tried to determine whether he should be insulted or flattered by the comparisons. It wouldn't be a bad thing, really, to be any of those dwarves (or the hobbit), as they all had very good qualities.

"No, I suppose not," Bofur said, still in thought. "I think I'd much rather just be a Bofur."

"Yes, you make a wonderful Bofur," whispered Nori, whose eyes were now peering at the moon as they walked, hand in hand, across the bridge. Bofur flushed bright red, sure that this was a compliment. _And I receive so few of- Wait._ He took another look at his and Nori's interlocking hands, confusion spreading through his entire being. _When did that happen?_

Suddenly, Bofur was sweating, worried that he'd ruined things again. He quickly yanked his hand free, and stepped away from the other dwarf, who now had their turn to look confused, to face him. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to. I just- I was just distracted. The moonlight is s pretty over the flowers and- Wait, no, it's not like I was trying to be romantic or anything. No. No, I'm sorry." Before he gave Nori a chance to respond, he turned on his heels and walked as quickly towards the others as possible.

Nori was left looking down at his hand in shock, wishing it were still grasping Bofur's. After all, it was Nori wh had intertwined their fingers anyway, when he knew the other dwarf was paying less attention.


	13. Chapter 13

So, it's the thirteenth chapter here. Since thirteen is often referred to as an unlucky number, I'm using that as an excuse for this fuckery.

I'd apologize but I'm not remotely sorry. Ehehehe.

Assuming you're already emotionally invested in this story: Here are some more feels.

* * *

His hand was shaking by the time Nori realized he had spent far too long staring at it, focusing on how the warmth of the contact with Bofur had faded to match the feel of the cool night breeze. The heat in his cheeks, no doubt from the embarrassment and slight anger of the dwarf he was so _sure_ was his one love running away, had not left him yet, and the thought of that only angered him further. Knees shaking, though he did try to gather some confidence first, he took his first uneasy step towards Thorin and company's camp. Possibly too soon for comfort, he realized he was taking his first steps towards a sad and lonely life, now that he knew Bofur wasn't interested. He refused to let his tears fall from his eyes.

After what seemed like half an hour he was back at camp, and immediately being interrogated by his elder brother, Dori.

_"Where have you been? You left for Bofur hours ago!"_ Dori was whisper-yelling, trying not to grab any attention from anyone else who may still be awake despite the late hour. _"What did you do to him? He ran into camp and straight into bed, with a huge frown on his face, no less!" _

"Dori," Nori started, before Dori started actually shouting. "I didn't do anything. I just found him, we talked a bit, and when I tried to hold his hand, he got all nervous and bolted." He risked a quick glance to Bofur's bedroll, and instantly knew the dwarf was not asleep. _His breathing is quick and uneven, not slow and steady. Oh, thank Aulë he is too far to hear us._ "You were right all along, Dori, he doesn't want me. I'm destined to be alone. It\s probably for the better anyway. I wouldn't want him mixed up with my past." He moved to turn around, but was stopped when Dori's thick fingers wrapped themselves around Nori's arm and pulled him back.

"I never meant any of that. He may be a free spirit, and can't keep focus from time to time, but I have no doubts that his dwarven blood will win out and he'll stick with whomever his _true_ one is, whether or not it _is_ you." Dori didn't look very pleased with his own words, as if he didn't want to admit the truth he'd been hiding so well. A sigh escaped him before he ran a chubby hand down his face, wiping away non-existent sweat. "I was more worried for him. _You're_ the one who so few can find any amount of trust in, including myself for a long time. You were a thief, making no attempt at all at an honest life, Nori. He may be poor, but he knew to work for whatever little gold he could get. And I didn't know for sure that your intentions were at all honourable. I'm sorry, but how could I, when they never have been before?"

Nori took a long moment to think about it, suddenly understood Dori's perspective on what Nori had previously thought was a potential relationship. _But, of course, I messed things up, completely misinterpreting _everything_, like always. _Finally, he asked in a hushed whisper, "But what can I do about it, Dori. I don't want to give up on this, on him, on us?" His brother sighed a heavy sigh, and wholly unexpected by Nori, pulled him into a tight bear-like hug.

"Talk to the guy, Nori. It's all you can do at this point." But Nori also knew this suggestion was out of the question. He couldn't risk seeing Bofur run from him again, not after how he could practically feel his heart creaking in his chest, threatening to shatter, the last time it happened. Dori released him from his too0-tight grip. "Whatever you choose to do, Nori, just be careful. Especially with the danger of the world around us lately, I don't want to see _either _of you hurt over this."

Nori nodded, but remained quiet. His face was growing hot and his eyes wet, but he didn't want anyone to know this, especially not Dori. Still deep in thought, he retreated to his bedroll, instantly hating the rather close proximity to Bofur himself, and attempted to let sleep find him. It did not, however, work.

Meanwhile, across the open area that the elves had been kind enough to let the dwarven company take over for the duration of their already extended stay, Bofur held his eyes closed tightly, trying to will himself to sleep. Unfortunately his mind had other ideas and wouldn't stop over thinking. He was still stuck in the past, wondering how so much of his life could change in such a short period of time.

He did expect change. He would have to be entirely stupid to think everything would remain the same for him. _Orcs, trolls, goblins, and a dragon. Of course everything is new and different._ And yet the most dangerous of all experiences on this journey thus far hadn't been any of these fierce and threatening creatures. It was Nori, and his prior friendliness turned into odd, undesirable behaviours. Even now, as he tried to feign sleep, he could hear the two older Ri Brothers conversing in a quiet whisper. He couldn't make out words, but he had a feeling it was about Bofur's own mistake earlier in the night.

_How could I have been so stupid? Me, the one wh was trying to keep things friendly, grabbing Nori's hand. He probably thinks I'm some strange love-struck fool, pining over him this entire trip. I swear I'm not. It's all a misunderstanding._ He breathed in deeply, letting the air escape from his mouth slowly. _Oh, and he loves someone, too. He's in love with someone else and I had to go and do something so foolish. I don't even love him!_

But even Bofur knew these words were not entirely true. He had long suspected something in his own heart was pulling him towards Nori. He had felt it every time he neared the other dwarf, how heart would race and his palms would sweat beneath his knitted mitts. When he had first overheard the conversation between Ori, Nori, and Dori about Nori's own feelings for someone unworthy of them, pain rang through Bofur's complete being, but he kept composed for their friendship's sake. Now, however, he didn't know if he could do that any longer.

Unknown to the two miserable dwarves, silent tears slipped from the other's eyes from the hurt their mess had caused.


	14. Chapter 14

During the next day in the elven kingdom of Rivendell, nearly every dwarf could feel an odd shift in the mood. Dori, who knew very well what had caused it was nearly certain that no one else had caught on to the discomfort between Nori and Bofur, even with the obvious glances they had been giving each other for the duration of the day. In fact, Dori was very surprised that neither Nori or Bofur had noticed the longing looks that the other had been sending their way.

Really, though, Dori was both pleased and upset with the turn the pair's relationship had taken. He was pleased because it meant he didn't have to protect Nori from Bofur or vice versa and had extra time to focus on keeping watch over Ori and Dwalin. But he was also saddened by the fact that one of his little brothers was so depressed. He knew he acted more like a mother to his two brothers, but it was only because he truly cared about them and their wellbeing. When they hurt, he hurt.

However, as Dori looked over at Ori, who was talking pleasantly to Dwalin, his new lover, his heart ached. With Dwalin being so uncharacteristically kind and gentle, and not looking as though this change in affection will ever end, Dori was scared that the two dwarves would want to bond themselves in marriage when they returned home. And this meant Dori would no longer have to spend his days worrying about caring for little Ori, but instead worrying over whether or not Dwalin was caring for him. _Such a strange idea that is,_ he thought. Still, he knew Dwalin was an honourable dwarf. He had the gold to support a husband, _and children should they choose to go down that road and adopt_, and could work decently.

_Nori has never had anything decent, although he could have. If he didn't choose to go around thieving, and instead found himself a real job, he could be as well off as the rest of the company. It wouldn't have been as hard on Ori and I, either. If only Dwalin hadn't caught him the act all those years ago._ Suddenly Dori clapped a hand over his mouth, remembering the numerous times Dwalin had arrested Nori on charges of theft. The two hadn't gotten along since, even when Nori didn't find himself in trouble with the law. _how would those two act if Ori and Dwalin _were_ to marry? They'd be brothers! Oh, but look how happy Ori is now. _

A cry of "Where has Thorin gone?" from the smallest member of the company, the hobbit, pulled Dori's attention from the happy faces of Dwalin and Ori, as he joined the rest of the company in gazing around the room, searching awkwardly for their leader. _I didn't even realize he had gone, and by the looks of it, no one else had either._ No one stood but Bilbo, who frantically peered around every corner as though he hadn't been involved in a rather large argument with the King of Erebor just days previous.

"Aye, he's gone off with Balin," Dwalin said, probably louder than necessary. Bilbo's eyes widened as though he was actually shocked that Thorin would wander off with Balin, who was known to be his great friend.

"Why? Why would he have done that? What are they doing? I demand to know!" The hobbit looked both shocked and angry, and Dori wanted to laugh at his attempt to appear intimidating. After all, it was Dwalin he was talking to, the most muscled and second strongest member of the company (only after Dori himself). If a fight were to break out among the hobbit and the large dwarven guard, there was already a clear winner.

"Relax, little Bilbo, they're off on quest business. I think he mentioned consulting with Gandalf about asking Elrond for help. Balin went along for support, and to make sure news of our true intentions on this journey are not revealed to the elf." Bilbo calmed visibly, his posture loosening considerably.

"Oh, very well then." But it was already too late. All of the dwarves had already witnessed Bilbo's emotional outburst and were thinking up their own ideas of what could have happened for Bilbo to become so worried for Thorin. Luckily, everyone calmed down quickly enough to make and enjoy supper.


End file.
